Thief of Hearts WORKING TITLE
by Lady Pax
Summary: AU: Treize is a king of a province somewhere in the world! But the day he meets a teenage, female thief, his world changes... Collaboration with Death's Daughter. R/R! NOT STUPID!
1. notes from the authoresses

Thief of Hearts [ working title ]

A Note from the Authoresses

Hellos, minna-san! 'Tis be me: Lady Pax! No, I'm not dead! I've actually been doing work! (amazing!) With Death's Daughter, of course! As you all know, she's my muse of general, and I'm glad to have her on the team! (spaces still open, btw – for both muses and beta-readers)

But anyway... This is a collaboration fic. Death's Daughter and I alternate writing chapters on this story. Fun-ness! I'm planning on doing that with all my muses. If I ever get a hold of one in particular *coughHAERcough*... But that's beyond the point.

This fic was a challenge made by my friends here in Houston. I'll get approximately $14.00 if the story is good, and gets good reviews – but I have to give about $21 – $28.00 dollars to my friends if it's not good and gets bad reviews. Yeah. They did it so they could see if my muse was good or not. The deadline was for January 1st, but we're no where near done, so we've changed it... You can't rush a good thing, ne? ^_^ 

This is an AU (Alternative Universe). Don't like, don't read. Treize is a king of a made-up province (no name yet). The G-boys do come out. But there is also an OC (original character) that has to stay with Treize in this. And there's romance in later chaps.. What does that tell you I wonder? DON'T LIKE, DON'T READ. I MEANT THAT! NO FLAMES!

Otherwise, enjoy...

~Lady Pax and Death's Daughter    --- as a team!! *gasp*


	2. one

Thief of Hearts

Chapter One by: Death's Daughter

Regular disclaimers apply

~+~

"Thief! Get back here!"  A figure darted through the crowds, a group of guards trying to keep up with her.

"Try harder, suckers!" The thief threw over her shoulder, blowing a raspberry at her pursuers. "You can't catch me after eating all those donuts!"

"Why you-! Stop!"

"In your dreams!" She dodged between shoppers and civilians, easily, until she came to a huge crowd. "Oh bugger."   She looked around frantically, before hoisting herself up onto someone's shoulders and hopped onto a nearby roof, running lightly along. "Hah! No mere City Guard can defeat me-woah! Woah!" A shingle slipped from beneath her feet and sent her tumbling head-over-heels down the roof. "owowowowowowowowOW!" Falling, she felt herself hit something slightly softer than concrete. "ooh…Shit…." Sitting up slowly, she looked down at the person beneath her and laughed nervously, hopping off him and helping him to his feet, brushing him down. "Heeeyy your highness! How's it going? Sorry about that, slight incident with a roof an' all? Have you lost weight? I-"

"Aha! There she is!"

"*urk* Well…nice talking to ya and all, but gottarunbye!" She tried to run, but felt her collar gripped by a strong hand. She looked pitifully up into clear blue eyes. "Is this about the last time we met? I swear, if I'd have known it was you, I wouldn't have taken the watch as well! Probably. Okay, so yes I would, but-"

"Your highness! Are you alright!?" The king didn't answer, watching curiously as the girl stuffed something in her mouth hastily. The guard looked nervous, before taking the thief's arm and holding a hand in front of her mouth. She shot the guard a look that said, quite clearly, 'you have got to be kidding'.

When the hand didn't move, she rolled her eyes and spat a plum into the guard's hand. He grimaced and put the plum in his pocket, making a show of wiping his hand on his pants. 

"Come on." He said, shaking her some more. "And the rest of it." The girl sighed and produced a chocolate bar from the back of her trousers and two packs of bubblegum from her bra. 

"Can I go now?" She whined. 

"Go!?" The guard laughed. "Not a chance! You're coming back to the station! You're-"

"Wait a second, Captain."  The King cut in smoothly, reacting to the helpless look on the girl's face. "I hardly think this is necessary."

"Your highness! She-"

"I **said," The king's voice left no room for arguments. "I hardly think this is necessary. I shall punish her myself. Put her in my car."**

"Hey!" The girl protested as she was dragged off. "I apologised for the watch didn't I!? What the hell is wrong with you!? I-"

The car door slammed shut. King Treize Kushrenada smiled. This girl was definitely going to be a welcome relief to his normal life, he was sure of it.

~+~

'Tis all! Next chapter by: Lady Pax !


	3. two

Thief of Hearts

Chapter Two by: Lady Pax

Regular disclaimers apply.

~+~

The young woman stood in front of the great mansion/castle in awe. Never…never in her span of life had she seen any structure so damn BIG. Sure, she had seen King Treize's home in pictures, and from the town seeing as it towered over the hills guarding the small village, but she never imagined it to be this large!

"Oh my g—" Before she could finish her statement, the driver of King Treize Khushrenada's car – who was also oh-so-conveniently a guard – pushed her forward quite roughly. "Ow! Hey!" she growled. She whirled around and faced the driver/guard. "Be gentle with me…" she said in a silky voice, leaning closer to him and making her eyes enormous and watery. She rubbed her hands together in an impression of being shy and nervous. "I am a lady after all…you can't be so rough…" 

"But apparently _you_ can be rough with _them_?" said voice. The woman jumped and turned to face the King.

"Do you have a _problem _with that, King Khushrenada?" she asked condescendingly, her voice barely above a snarl.

Treize took her shoulder firmly, and steered her alongside with him towards the castle gates. "What would you say if I did have a problem, thief?" he asked, not looking at her but at his home instead. From the few guards near the King and thief, it seemed like one of the 'talks' a father and son, or mother and daughter had of the 'birds and the bees', or of the creation of the world.

The girl didn't answer, she just took her shoulder away from his grasp and stopped. Treize stopped as well. "Yes?" he asked.

"Why did you take me here? If you're planning on torturing me, I don't know what good it would do. I have no secrets anybody would find interesting."

Treize arched an eyebrow, but closed his eyes and turned away, then began walking towards the gates. "Who said I was intrigued by you because of the secrets you hold?" he said. "I'm a king aren't I? I can be interested in anything I want. I can take any fair maiden from her home and bring her here, without warning. It is my birth-right from being born in the royal blood of Khushrenadas." He paused, looked at her, and smiled slightly when he saw she was following him. "Speaking of fair maidens… You reek of sewer water and rubbish."

"I resent that!" the girl said when she reached him. "You try living on the streets, and see how well you fare! Oh _great_ King Khushrenada! You wouldn't survive outside of these damn walls a single day, much less your whole life!" She said the words with distaste, and she spat at Treize's shoes.

The butt of a gun hit her sharply between the shoulder blades, making her lunge forward with a cringe and small noise of pain. "Do not speak to the King in that manner!" a guard yelled.

Treize squared his shoulders, sighed, and pushed the girl through the gateway and into the castle. "Do not do that again, men," he said lowly, glaring at each of them, "unless I give the word."

"Y-Yessir!" the two guards standing there said, clapped their feet together and saluted. Then they walked to the back to the car to park it in the 'imperial parking-lot'.

~+~

'Tis it! Chapter Three by: Lady Pax, as well! ^_^


	4. three

Thief of Hearts

Chapter Three by: Lady Pax

Regular disclaimers apply.

~+~

The girl stood in the massive entrance hall. Her head was craned up, hair falling down from her shoulders to her back, to look at the tall ceiling. _'A chandelier…'_ she thought. _'A crystal and gold one, too… It'd be worth lots of money. Enough to get me outta this hell-hole of a town, anyway…'_

"I hope you're not planning to steal my dear chandelier," Treize said, following her eyes. "My grandmother gave it to me, and I'd be absolutely devastated if anything was to happen to it." A sarcastic smile formed on the edges of his lips, but the girl just glared at him. "There's not time, anyway. I've already alerted my 'staff' of maids that you need a bath and new clothes. They should be coming to get you in a matter of minutes."

The girl looked at him with narrowed eyes. "Why can't I just keep the clothes I have? Royal clothes seem to be too itchy and starchy." She motioned towards the stiff neck of King Treize's coat.

"You'll get used to it."

"I don't like dresses," she said, trying to find a way out of putting her clothes in the furnace. 

"I don't care, I don't have to wear it – you do. Anyway, your clothes have holes in all the wrong places. My guests wouldn't approve, and I wouldn't want to disgust them in any way. They might impeach me if I did."

"I could only wish," the girl snarled heatedly before three maids came in meekly.

"Is this the young maiden, Your Highness?" one of the maids asked, pointing towards the girl. Treize nodded.

"Indeed it is. Give her a scrubbing-would you–and find some clothes to wear. It doesn't matter if they're old, as long as they're still in good condition and don't have holes and tears in them." As an afterthought he added, "Hopefully all the clothes in storage haven't gotten eaten by moths yet…"

The maids nodded, and took the girl by the hands and began leading her up the winding stairs. "Hey!" the girl exclaimed. "I don't need a bath! I want to keep my clothes! Let me go! Let me go! LET ME GO!" she screamed.

"Stop stalling, fair maiden," said Treize, "and you'll get it over with sooner." Then he walked away.

"Bastard…" the girl murmured as the maids dragged her body up the stairs. "Did you hear that, you BASTARD! I CALLED YOU A BASTARD, YOU BASTARD!!"

"Oh thank you!" yelled Treize from the kitchens. "It must be a compliment coming from you!" He grinned to himself when he heard her try and get away from his maids in pure anger and fury.

~+~

Approximately an hour and-a-half later, the girl was allowed back downstairs: watered, rinsed, dried, and dressed. A maid led her into the den where King Treize was sitting, doing some paperwork. Half the table in front of him was covered in papers, pens, and small books, the other half was covered in food. The girl could feel her stomach growl, and she wished she had never given them the right to burn her old clothes. If she remembered correctly, she had a small packet of old crackers in one of her pockets…

"Your Highness…" the maid said quietly, knocking on the wooden doorway right outside of the den. Treize looked up, and his eyebrows shot-up at the sight of the girl.

"Ah…thank you," he said. "You may leave now." The maid nodded, and scurried off, leaving the girl in the doorway. "Well?" said Treize, looking at her and motioning for the chair on the other side of the table. "Sit down."

She followed his orders, and sat on the chair, curling her legs underneath her and crossing her arms while Treize looked her over. She wore a long, cotton, gray skirt and a matching shirt with darker gray stripes. Black boots covered her feet. Her long, sepia-brown hair was let down to the eye of her back, held away softly from her bright blue-gray eyes by a black clip that matched the stripes on her shirt. Treize could see there was a pale dusting of light freckles over her nose and now-rosy cheeks. There was also a small, hardly visible scar right next to her left eye. But nothing escaped the well-trained eye of Treize Khushrenada.

"How, and when, did you get that scar near your eye?" he asked carefully – slowly. 

She glanced at him. "Street-fight a few weeks back," she said, then looked away. She scratched an itch at her neck, lowering the neck of the shirt a little – showing a small tattoo of a rose at the center of her collarbone(s). Well, he had to admit(being the ever vibrant rose-lover), that did catch his interest. But, seeing as that would be quite rude since it was somewhere where he shouldn't necessarily be looking, he didn't say anything.

~+~

The girl sat on the lounging chair, keeping her mind of the food that was right under her nose. She looked at the leather of the chair she was on. It was blue. Dark blue. She was sitting on a dark blue armchair. Interesting...

Her stomach made a loud growling noise, making Treize look up. A small blush stained her porcelain skin that had only a few moments ago been stained brown with mud, and she dug her arms nonchalantly into her stomach to stop her stomach from 'eating itself'. 

"If you're hungry, you should eat," King Treize said. And before he could even blink, her arm had reached out and taken a roll from the table. He blinked. Wow. She was fast. "But before you do stuff your face..." he said. "I would like to know something."

"What?" she asked, tossing the roll from hand to hand.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Who says I have one?" she responded, looking at him with what one would call a 'childlike innocence'.

"Everyone has a name," Treize said, arching an eyebrow.

"You have to have family to have a name."

"What makes you say that?"

"Who else will give you a name?" The girl cocked her head, some of her hair falling in front of her face.

"Well...what do people generally call you?"

"Well...most often it's something along the lines of 'Stop! Thief!' or 'Get back here you little street rat!' is another one....oh! 'You wait until I get my hands on you, you insolent little bitch!' seems to be a favorite with your guards."

"Anything...shorter?" Treize asked.

"Someone I used to know called me Aveli."

"Aveli, eh? Nice name," Treize said. "What about your surname?"

"Don't know. That person's last name was Marlece though. We were like family. He took care of me, at least." Then she ate the roll.

~+~

And.......that's it! ^_^;; Longer than the other chaps. Gomen nasai kanashii-minna-san!

Next chapter by: Death's Daughter!


	5. four

Thief of Hearts

Chapter Four by: Death's Daughter

Regular disclaimers apply.

  
~+~

Later that day, King Treize had to go out on some obscure peace-talk thing; Aveli didn't know what exactly, she hadn't been listening.

All she knew was, he wasn't in, and wasn't going to be back for a while; two very good things in her mind.

It had taken her relatively little time to find Treize's room, but it was taking longer than she would have liked to find what exactly she was looking for in there.

"Making me wear a sodding dress, ch'yeah, right…bastard…where is it? Christ…too damn neat for his own good…and it stinks of bloody roses in- Aha!" Aveli paused from her muttering as she found what she was after. Opening the wallet, she pulled out all the paper money in there and stuffed it in her bra for safekeeping. Then she opened the credit card section and flicked through it, before pulling out what she was after. She dropped the wallet back in the drawer, shut it and locked it again. "Mastercard, accepted everywhere…" She muttered to herself, smugly as she sauntered out the room. "He didn't like my clothes, I don't like his, let's see if we can reach a compromise…"

~+~

Treize sat down in the armchair with as much dignity as he could muster, tired as he was. It was all he could do not to just flop into it and fall asleep. 

However, it was still early, and, from the smells of things, dinner was served. Standing, he sent a servant to go fetch Aveli and he made his way into the dining room.  His stomach grumbled as he seated himself; but manners dictated that he didn't start until Aveli had arrived.

Five minutes later, the door opened and Treize looked up to see the girl strut in. He cleared his throat, his eyes taking in the skin-tight leather pants and the shirt that was only boarder lining on decent. She smiled cheerily at him before wandering down the table and taking a seat.

"I went shopping!" She stated, with more innocence than was normal as she started on the food.

"I can see that." Treize said slowly. "And where did you get the money, pray tell?" He blinked as a credit card bounced off his head.

"I figured you had enough to spare. You being king an' all."

"You stole my credit card? How do I know you didn't steal anything else?"

"'Cause I'm not like that. Only steal precious stuff if it's off someone I _really_, _really_ loathe." She smiled sweetly, not letting on how close Treize was coming to that category. "'sides, it would look strange trying to pay for clothes with a…emerald studded locket." She smirked at the minute twitching of Treize's eyebrow. "Chill, though, I advise getting a better lock for the safe under your bed…oh, and the secret drawer in your dresser has chewing-gum stuck in the lock, sorry." Aveli finished her drink, burped loudly, before standing up, saluting and wandering out the room, leaving Treize dumbfounded, with a cold dinner.

~+~

Chapter Five by: Lady Pax


	6. five

Thief of Hearts

Chapter Five by: Lady Pax

Regular disclaimers apply

~+~

"Weeeell," said Aveli as she relaxed on the futon in the bedroom she was staying in, in Treize's castle, "I think ole King K. should be thinking about when to let me go for good behavior right about now…" She laughed, swinging her legs as she lied on her back, reclined by two pillows against the wall. She admired her new boots. So pretty, and so shiny. ^_^

Aveli was just in the middle of a squeaky-boot symphony, when Treize entered the room.

"Hey! You're supposed to knock, dim-witted toad!" she exclaimed, standing up and putting her hands on her hips. "I could've been changing for Christ's sakes!"

Treize smiled slightly at that, but said placidly, "Well you weren't; and that's all that matters. But my very good friend Quatre Raberba Winner – you may have heard of him – is coming for a visit, and will be here in approximately one hour. I know you already took a shower this morning, but I know that the maids would have given you a good enough washing as you would if you had done it yourself. So you will take another one."

Aveli was about to protest, about to say that there was no stinkin' way she was getting in the tub at this hour, AGAIN, when Treize added as an afterthought:

"You're clothes smell, funny, too – I'm sure it's contaminated your skin as well. You can wear your new clothes, but they'll be washed and most-likely sprayed with Lysol, as will you."

"You're acting like some sort of parental figure or something," said Aveli, throwing her arms up in 'insanity'.

"And you," Treize said, pointing at her, "are acting like a juvenile delinquent."

"Well it obviously never bothered you much before, _Great_ King Treize," she said sarcastically, "or else you would've gotten much better guards and policemen down their in the town to _catch _me!" She stood taller, arms crossed over her chest and chin out defiantly.

"Oh Hilde …" Treize called. One of the three maids Aveli had already met earlier came scuttling in.

"Yes, Your Highness?" Hilde asked, bowing her head slightly. Aveli rolled her eyes. 

"Why don't you just add 'how may I ease your life, oh great one?" she spat disgustedly.

"You cut in before I could get to that!" Hilde said, and Treize looked at her in surprise. Aveli looked wide-eyed. "Just kidding," Hilde said, winking. "But anyway, Your Highness, what do you need…" As a joke she added, "Oh great one?"

"Don't you start too," said Treize, annoyed. "But I just need you to escort Miss Marlece here to one of the bathrooms so she may bathe before Mr. Winner arrives." Treize turned, and walked out of the room. 

"Bastard," Aveli snarled as Hilde motioned for her to follow her.

"Oh, he's not that bad," Hilde said. "Once you get to know him better."

"I doubt it…" Aveli murmured, and entered the bathroom Hilde pointed her to. 

~+~

About fifteen minutes later, after Aveli had figured out all the dials and knobs and temperatures and which shampoos and soaps to use in the bathtub, said girl was submerged to her chin in the water. All her body but her knees and lower collar-bone and up were under the steaming-hot water.

Aveli lay her head against the silver-white tiled wall of the bathroom, and took a long breath. How long had it been since she had taken a bath – not counting earlier that day? She couldn't remember. She sighed, and stretched beneath the water before deciding it was time to lather up and make herself 'clean'. She took a wash cloth, some soap, and lathered her body and rinsed. It was right about then she realized that the bathroom was getting drafty.

She turned to the door, rose-scented soap-bar in her hand, when she saw that the door was open – Treize standing there, messing with the tie of his white bathrobe.

"…Uhh…" Aveli said softly, but he didn't hear. Treize stepped farther in the bathroom, and Aveli could see he held a toothbrush, toothpaste, and a comb in his hand. 

It was then she realized that he was planning on taking a bath in there. And that she was naked beneath the wall of water, and one could see a fair amount of cleavage. She sank under the water, but there wasn't enough to cover herself up 'decently'. 

Aveli felt a blush stain her cheekbones as Treize turned after closing the door, his ice-blue gaze meeting her chocolate-brown one. They stood there, staring at each other foolishly, until Aveli spoke up. "Unless you're going to hop in the water with me, Treize-dear," she said sarcastically, "you'd best get out before something gets hurt or broken."

Treize mumbled a fast apology before turning and walking out.

~+~

A few minutes later, not risking the chance again, Aveli dried off and dressed in her new clothes. She stepped out into Hilde's laughing face. Her eyes narrowed. "You planned all of that, didn't you? That's Treize bathroom – isn't it?" she hissed.

"PRICELESS…" was all Hilde could say between snickers.

Aveli's scowl turned into a sadistic smile that made Hilde wonder. "It's a good thing a maid like you can't afford anything fancy or expensive, Hilde," she said in a scornful voice. "Or else you'd pay for this little incident with those said items." She paused when she saw the infuriated look forming on Hilde's face when she began to get the insult. "But this way, you'll pay me back in a much better and more fun way!" She patted Hilde's back as she walked to her room. "Be a sport, little girl."

~+~ 

And thas'it! Crappy, yes…but…*sigh* I couldn't think of anything else! And incase you couldn't tell already…I HATE HILDE!! DIE DIE DIE! Hee! *grin*  

Chapter Six by: Death's Daughter !


	7. six

Thief of Hearts

Chapter Six by: Death's Daughter

Regular disclaimers apply.

~+~

It didn't take Treize long to get from the bathroom to his room, where he barricaded the door shut and leaned against it. He pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them quickly, because closing his eyes only burned the image more fiercely into his mind. 

He knew whose fault that incident was, but he got the feeling that Hilde would suffer more by Aveli's hands than by his own…He would have to make sure to ask Aveli to get Hilde's reaction on film…That would be priceless.

He made his way over to his bed and sank down on it, staring up at the ceiling. That was a perverse joke of her to play, though. He could remove the image of Aveli…in the bath…n- No! End that thought right there! 

Argh! Oh…he sincerely hoped that Aveli would get that girl good…

And now…to cleanse his mind…He wouldn't be able to meet Quatre Winner if he kept picturing Aveli with no clothes on…

~+~

Aveli didn't know how long she had until she had to get ready for Treize's guest, but hopefully it should be just long enough. She'd sneaked down to the kitchens and had found exactly what she had been looking for. Now, she was in Hilde's room, setting things up for revenge, on a slightly larger scale than petty theft.

Forty-five minutes later, she was done. Everything was set up perfectly, including the small camera in the light. This revenge would suit the little bitch down to the ground. She glided down to her own room and breezed inside, ready to search through the mountain of clothes she'd bought the previous day for something that would be deemed 'suitable'. She didn't want to make a bad impression on Mr. Winner…from what she'd seen of him, he and his bodyguard were damn cute.

"Okay…" She stated, throwing clothes over her shoulders as she searched for what she was after. "I know I've got something in here somewhere….comeon…comeon…comeon…."She paused when she found it and a grin slowly sprouted on her face. "Oh yes…this'll be _perfect."_

~+~

"Quatre!"

"Treize!" The younger blonde man ran up the steps into the palace, where Treize was waiting. The King smiled at his friend. 

"I'm glad you could make it. While you're here, there's someone I want you to meet." Treize nodded at the taller, brown-haired man behind Quatre. "Hello Heero" Heero nodded and Treize led the pair into a random living room 

"There is? Who?"

"Well…yesterday, I met someone very interesting." 

"Stop it Treize! Tell me! Who?" Treize just smiled calmly and sat down in an armchair, while Quatre perched on the edge of a seat nearby. Heero wandered over to the window and watched the outside like a hawk.

"Guess."

"Treize!!"

"You never will."

"Then tell me! Treize, don't be mean!" 

"I swear I'm not! You're too sensitive, Quatre!"

"You _know that's not my fault, Treize, You try growing up with 29 older sisters! You'd be slightly effeminate too!"_

"I've met your sisters, most of them are undeniably manly."

"That was rude!"

"Am I interrupting?" Came a smooth voice from the door. All three men turned to see Aveli standing in the doorway. She was dressed less dramatically than she had been the previous day, though maybe not as formally as she could have done. The black, ribbed turtleneck was sleeveless and the denim skirt, though knee-length, had a slit up one side. The boots though…knee-high black leather stilettos were not _quite what Treize had been expecting. Heero turned and raised an eyebrow at the new arrival and Quatre leapt up from his seat, manners taking control._

"Hello!" He cried, walking over to her and holding his hand out. She took it and was shocked beyond all belief when he bent down to kiss her hand, before letting go. "I'm Quatre Raberba Winner and you are?"

"Um…" Aveli blinked manically. "I'll let you know when I find out…" She said absently, wandering into the room and taking a seat. Quatre laughed and followed her, taking a seat opposite her. 

"Is this who you wanted me to meet Treize?" He asked, his eyes sparkling. "It's about time you found yourself a partner!"

"Oh we're not-"

"No _way-"_

"-together…"

"He's just keeping me here to get revenge for me stealing his watch the other month."

Quatre blinked in surprise. 

"Ah. I see….I think…."

~+~

"It was good to see you again Treize, and nice to meet you Aveli." Treize smiled.

"Always a pleasure, Quatre. Always a pleasure." The pair watched as the young millionaire and his bodyguard climbed into their car and set off. When they were gone, Treize turned to Aveli and opened his mouth to say something, but she cut him off.

"Don't worry, I've set up cameras."

And she walked off.

Hilde got a shock when she went to bed later that night and her mattress exploded , covering the entire room in custard.

~+~ 

Next chapter by Lady Pax!


End file.
